CompositesWorld
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91 CompositesWorld.com NEWS N E W S N S N E W S E N W S W Materials Sciences Corp. you cannot sense because the frequecies are too high. "Yet your body reacts to these, and you can calculate how much energy your body uses to counteract these vibrations." Tis reduction in energy consumption pays of in performance for the cyclist, whose goal is to transmit every ounce of energy into forward propulsion. "So now we are adding value to a laminate by making it multifunctional, ofering not just lightweight structure but also vibration damping and the performance benefts that come with that." "COUNTERVAIL is very unique, allowing you to use damping for structural vibration reduction and/or for shifting natural frequency and change resonant mode shapes," Cassin notes. Tus, the degree of vibration and/or noise reduction depends on how the material is used and the engineering goal for the fnal structure. Tat fexibility has already resulted in varied implementation. COUNTERVAIL reportedly has not only achieved a 50-70% vibration reduction in specifc carbon composite bike frames, but a fvefold reduction for a composite spar. It also has reduced peak noise transmission by roughly 30% without increasing weight in a noise isolation interior panel for a Bell 403 helicopter. Cassin also showed a prototype camera boom for a UAV that was being prepared for testing during CW's visit. "Vibration in these gimbals and arma- tures makes it harder for the camera to lock onto the GPS signal," he pointed out. "Tis continuous searching can render the device useless, similar to a cellphone exhausting its battery from nonstop searching for a GPS or Blue- tooth signal." Cassin envisions a range of poten- tial applications for COUNTERVAIL, including wind blades, aircraft inte- riors, boat hulls, prosthetics and auto- motive structures. "Radiated noise is a whole category of application for this technology," he adds. "Tradition- ally, the best way to damp noise has Fiber forms with acoustical & structural functions A beam of commingled fbers is drawn into a weaving loom (left) to produce one of MSC's specialty fabrics (right) which blend acoustical and structural fbers into a tailored fabric that delivers lightweight, high-strength and tailored wave propagation and/or dielectric properties to the fnished multilayer composite. Source | Materials Sciences Corp. Dude, the new vibe is counter-vibe COUNTERVAIL reduces vibration to increase control and endur - ance not only for cyclists on the road and skiers on the slopes but also … for surfers on the big waves. Finite element modeling determined the best material placement for optimal modal and vibratory response in this model from DaveySKY Surfboard (Manasquan, NJ, US). Source | Materials Sciences Corp. been to add mass — like lead blankets — but these add a signif- cant amount of weight." Although Cassin sees the technology as far-reaching, he says MSC is pursuing a controlled rollout, targeting low-hanging fruit frst. Fiber forms for a multifunctional future Along the right side of the facility's open production area, a variety of weaving looms produce standard fabrics from commingled fbers followed by specially modifed looms from American Iwer Corp. (Greenville, SC, US) and other suppliers for producing 3D weaves used in ballistics and blast-resistance applica- tions. Down the center of the space are beaming and